


Starting Over

by Eustacia Vye (eustaciavye)



Series: Inception Bingo 2020 [7]
Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-05 09:14:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25348297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eustaciavye/pseuds/Eustacia%20Vye
Summary: All good things come to an end.
Relationships: Ariadne/Arthur (Inception)
Series: Inception Bingo 2020 [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1834918
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18
Collections: Inception Trope/Kink Bingo 2020





	Starting Over

**Author's Note:**

> For the "presumed dead" square in Inception Bingo.

Eames had slept on the floor and was a perfect gentleman in Arthur's apartment. _Their_ apartment. He was too tall to comfortably stay on the couch without curling up tight, which he apparently didn't like. He also didn't like the idea of sleeping in Arthur and Ariadne's bed while she slept on the couch. The floor was comfortable enough with cushions, pillows and blankets, and he assured Ariadne that he'd slept in far worse places.

"Dammit," Arthur sighed when they called him after dinner. "I liked being Arthur Lewis. I guess I have to burn that identity."

"Arthur, your grandmother," Ariadne said in concern.

"What about her? She doesn't know about the business, and no one knows about her."

"Ah, Sylvia," Eames said with a smile. "How was darling Benji when you last saw her?"

Ariadne looked at him. "How do you know that?"

"He bought Benji," Arthur grumbled.

Eames looked rather proud of himself. "I know how to deal with the emotionally fragile."

"Usually to manipulate the hell out of them."

"Well, yes," Eames told Arthur, no hint of repentance in his tone. "In this case, I think we should manipulate the Nova group." He winked at Ariadne. "Since our darling girl is no damsel, I think we can rope her in to help."

"No, Ariadne doesn't want to get involved in something like this," Arthur protested. "She's got a life there, and burning me out might get her involved too."

Ariadne closed her eyes for a brief moment and let out a long, slow breath. "I know what you're trying to do," she said quietly. "And I appreciate the thought. But maybe... Maybe it's time for me to make my choice. To really be part of this."

"Ari!"

"Hear me out," Ariadne said, opening her eyes and staring intently at the phone as if she could convince Arthur through it. "I'm working long hours. I'm at the bottom of the totem pole and my most brilliant designs are thrown out in favor of the partners. Some days it feels like I can't get anything done in the real world because of stupid regulations and having to follow the rules that the partners set."

Eames shot her a comisserating glance, then stood up to refluff a few pillows in the spot he planned to sleep. This wasn't his discussion to take part in, and he was never the type to get involved in something when he didn't have to. 

"You don't want to live your life like this," Arthur was saying. His voice was strained, something that didn't usually happen, and Ariadne picked up the phone and took it off speaker. "It's a hard life, Ariadne, and I don't want that for you."

"But it's also not your choice," she said, voice dropping to just above a whisper. She turned her back to Eames, though he could still hear her side of the conversation. "If I want to build, and I want to make sure that I stay safe, I can't be in places that your enemies will find me. _Our_ enemies would find me."

"I think you have a romanticized idea of how this works."

"No, I'm aware there's more to it than I know. I'm going to have to learn a lot to keep up with you. But if I'm not spending fourteen hours plus in the firm, I have time to do learn how. I put in range time as it is, and I probably have to practice more than regular self defense. Maybe hand to hand."

Arthur blew out a frustrated breath. "But you have a chance to stay legal. Once you burn that bridge, there's no rebuilding it." He made a soft despairing noise. "I don't want you to regret this. There's too much to lose."

"Not if I'm with you."

"If it happens... Ariadne... It's permanent."

"I'm aware."

Another breath, and Ariadne could almost hear his brain whir. "Pass the phone to Eames."

"I can help."

"I know. But if we're making this permanent, we need some bodies for them to find."

"Bodies," Ariadne echoed, a sick feeling in her gut. She turned back toward Eames, who was sprawled on the floor, hands behind his head. She thrust the phone at him then turned away as he took it.

Maybe he was right, she didn't really know what she was asking. She didn't know what she was giving up. She didn't know what her future would entail.

But she knew what she was holding onto, and that's what she needed to keep.

***

The fire that ripped through the apartment building was high heat. It obliterated the corner of the building where it started, two warped skeletons in the bedroom all that was left of the couple that lived there. The next two apartments sustained damage, but there were no fatalities or injuries.

***

Alice Mercer and Henry McAllister moved into a lovely townhouse in Ireland. Sometimes their close friend Kevin Crawford stopped by. They vacationed a lot, and were always quiet and respectful of their neighbors. If asked, none of them could say anything bad about the couple, only that they kept to themselves and didn't get involved in local festivals. They didn't have any family photos in their living room if neighbors stopped by for a bit, and they didn't talk about extended family. The two enjoyed cooking, and often laughed as they went through recipes in a battered cookbook in the kitchen. They were a happy couple, and a welcome addition to the neighborhood. 


End file.
